It’s the smell

West Coast Reduction is stinking up the east end with no relief in sight

by Jeff Steudel

West Coast Reduction, an animal rendering plant at 105 North Commercial Drive, has plagued northeast Vancouver residents with the sickening smell of death for yet another summer. The company, which is on the GVRD’s non-complaint list for the second year in a row, promotes itself on its website as follows: “Cleanliness is paramount, with West Coast Reduction setting the environmental and cleanliness standards for rendering plants across North America. Air and water emission control systems are strictly monitored to ensure they meet governmental standards.” Residents must be wondering why the GVRD hasn’t effectively enforced the company’s permit which states for parameters under odour emissions: “None past the plant boundary such that the District Director determines that air pollution has occurred.”

In August 2004 the GVRD sent flyers to northeast Vancouver residents informing them that on June 7, 2004 “West Coast Reduction was directed to commit to a compliance program to achieve full and consistent compliance with the terms and conditions of its permit.”

Larry Avanthay, an air quality enforcement officer for the GVRD, said, “The compliance plan was not completed. West Coast Reduction will again be nominated for the list in 2005.”Avanthay said the company has sent the GVRD an application to amend its permit which would include measures to address the odour problem. Before the amendment is approved by the GVRD, the company will have to hold a public meeting to discuss corrective actions.

Shane Simpson, MLA for Vancouver-Hastings, sent a letter to the director of the GVRD, Marvin Hunt, to express his concern that after one year nothing has been done to rectify the situation at West Coast Reduction. Simpson wrote: “This situation is intolerable for the people living in the proximity of this facility and the conduct of West Coast Reduction in not addressing these matters is unacceptable.” Simpson also calls on the GVRD to deal with matter “immediately and decisively.”

Dave Takata, Plant Operations Manager at West Coast Reduction, said about the delay: “Things take time and we’ve had other priorities in running a business.” He said that the company has tightened-up on procedures and has assessed various options to further eliminate odour emissions from the plant. “We plan to replace the bleach used in our air scrubber with ozone. Ozone appears to be a way to reduce odour-causing chloride emissions caused when bleach reacts with other compounds in the air being cleaned by the scrubber,” said Takata. The company is also intending to increase capacity in its ten-year-old afterburner, a boiler that incinerates odour-causing gases at a high temperature. Takata says that, in his view, the two steps would address the problem, but the company is also considering purchasing a second afterburner. “Money is not an issue,” says Takata.

West Coast Reduction, a privately-owned company, established by Jack Diamond in 1964, reported earnings to Dunn-Bradstreet Canada at $72,600,000 in 2002 which was a jump from $19,600,000 in 2001. Dunn-Bradstreet said that the company declined to report earnings in 2003 and 2004.

Avanthay said that West Coast Reduction’s location on the port creates the “perfect storm” for air quality concerns. “About 400 complaints were received about West Coast Reduction in 2004. This year seems consistent with the previous year’s numbers,” said Avanthay. He said that he believes the complaints represent “the tip of the iceberg” because not all people call to complain. He said that many of the complaints come from a few blocks around Ferndale St, close to Templeton High School. “People, who were picking up their children from school, have called us about the smell,” said Avanthay. Walter Mustapich, Vice Principal of Templeton High School, who grew up in the area, says the smell has been around a long time. “It’s a putrid smell that comes and goes. It usually happens around lunchtime.”

Anne Nickle, who lives on the 2700 block of Parker St said that she has called the GVRD Air Quality Complaint line. “It smells like rotting flesh all day. For us to complain it must be really bad,”said Nickle.

Takata said that he has spent a lot of time in the area around the plant, tracking complaints and that “if residents see it as a problem, then we see it as a problem.” Takata also said, “The area is changing and some people I meet think they live in Shaughnessy East. They don’t realize they’ve moved to a semi-industrial zone.”

While some newer residents, like Rachael Scott, have formed the Grandview Heights Neighbourhood Association to monitor West Coast Reduction, some long-time residents are also speaking out. Vesna Puharich who has lived on Ferndale St since 1970 and in the area since 1957, says, “I find the odour offensive. Something should be done to neutralize the odour. Nobody around here likes it. It’s been going on a long time. There are days you don’t smell it at all. There are some days it’s unbelievable.”

Residents of northeast Vancouver are no doubt wondering if the GVRD will make West Coast Reduction comply with its permit, or if their neighbourhoods will continue to be smothered by the smell of death.

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